Neymar has refused the chance to quash rumours of a rift with Paris Saint-Germain strike partner Kylian Mbappe.
The two superstars both made the move to the Parc des Princes in the summer of 2017 and have gone on to achieve great success on the field. However, off it, there have been claims that they have failed to see eye-to-eye, with that animosity boiling over earlier this season.
PSG sporting director Luis Campos is believed to have intervened when Neymar and Mbappe were engaged in a feud in regards to who would take penalties for the French champions.
The issue arose after the forwards appeared to clash over spot-kick taking responsibilities during the 5-2 win over Montpellier in August. Neymar subsequently went to ‘like’ posts on social media which were critical of his teammate and his new contract at the club.
That incident came less than a month after reports that suggested Mbappe wanted Neymar out of the club surfaced. Mundo Deportivo stated that the Frenchman, whose new contract reportedly gives him sway over recruitment decisions, was pushing for Neymar to leave PSG. Lionel Messi was opposed to that idea, having built up a close relationship during their time together at Barcelona.
Messi would ultimately win that debate and Neymar has rewarded his loyalty with a blistering start to the season, scoring 11 times in as many matches - in addition to registering eight assists for his teammates.
The 30-year-old turned out for Brazil on Friday, helping the Selecao to a 3-0 victory over Ghana as they continue their final preparations for the World Cup in Qatar. But while he didn’t trouble the scorers in Le Havre, France, he did make headlines with a frosty post-match interview.
After answering several questions in the mixed zone, Neymar was asked about his relationship with Neymar, replying "with Kylian?”, before shrugging and adding, “I don’t” as he walked away from any further questioning.
Last month, Mbappe went into more detail about their dynamic, admitting the tumultuous and up-and-down nature of their dynamic: "To talk about Neymar, this is the sixth year, I think we've always had a relationship like this based on respect," he said in a press conference.
“But we've always had moments like this where sometimes we've had moments that were a bit colder and moments that were a bit hotter. There are times, you'll see, when we're the best of friends and sometimes we don't talk so much, it's the nature of our relationship that's like that.”
And Mbappe fanned the flames even further earlier this week, when suggesting he can play with much more freedom with the national side, in comparison to PSG.
He told reporters after the win over Austria: “How they ask me to play here is different. With France, I have much more freedom than at PSG. The coach knows that there is a '9' like Giroud and I can move and go to the space that creates. In Paris it is different, they ask me to play pivot."
